The Knights' Journey
by BSxKeymaster
Summary: Sora and Riku are on their way to find Master Yen Sid, so they can become Keyblade Masters. The only problem is, they run into an "old friend".
1. Chapter 1

It was never supposed to happen.

Unsuspecting, Sora never thought he would have to face the darkness that is Master Xehanort.

Two friends forever divided by the lust for power and the need to do what is right.

Kairi's tears of grief fall as the two boys leave to become Masters.

Yen Sid and Mickey await their arrival.

One boy chose darkness, the other chose light. Now is the time to find out who is the true Master of this generation.

"Sora, Riku, be safe."

Those were the last words they heard before they departed. Now it was too late to turn back.

"Sora, do you really think we can both be Masters?" Riku asked quizzically.

"It will never hurt to try. Maybe we can go back to the islands once it's all over and enjoy life. All three of us: you, me, and Kairi."

"Kairi. To think, this was all for her."

"We'll do anything to protect her. Always."

"What do you think Master Yen Sid will have us do?"

"I'm not sure. From what I've gathered, there hasn't been a Mark of Mastery exam in about ten years."

"So you're saying that we should expect anything?"

"Exactly."

"We're coming up on Twilight Town now. Brace for landing."

As they landed, the Twilight Town trio, Hayner, Pence, and Olette appeared after they came out of the gummi ship. They greeted Sora and Riku, and asked how Kairi was doing.

"She's well. She's been trying hard lately to hold together after everything that has happened." Sora answered with honesty.

"Well, maybe one day we can all get together and hang out at the Usual Spot. Or maybe we could hang out on the clock tower!" Olette chimed in.

"Yeah, except right now we're here on official business. We have to take the Mysterious Train to see more of our friends." Riku wasn't really in the mood for pointless chit-chat.

"Well, maybe when you're finished, you could come here and get to know us better." Pence was always trying to keep everyone happy with his eased words.

"We'll see you around, once we're finished." Sora answered assuring Pence.

With that last comment, Sora and Riku headed to the Train Station to catch the Mysterious Train to the Mysterious Tower. That was where the encountered the first enemies they have seen in a year.

"Really? It's been a while I guess." Sora said as he summoned his original Keyblade, the Kingdom Key.

Riku laughed, "I guess we do need a little warm-up before we get into the real competition." He summoned the Way to Dawn Keyblade to his side as he spun in the air to attack a Shadow Heartless.

Shadows and Soldiers surrounded Sora and Riku. They all attacked at once. Then, out of nowhere, a man in a black coat appeared. He wielded Ethereal Blades similar to those that Sora's enemy from a year before, Xemnas, wielded. He carved a symbol in the air, and it immediately destroyed all of the Heartless attacking the boys.

"What just happened? They were all right here!" Sora shouted in wonder.

"I think he might have something to do with it." Riku pointed towards the man in the cloak.

The man in black walked slowly towards Sora and spoke "So, you have come this far and still you understand NOTHING."

"It… it can't be!" Sora screamed in total fear.

The man uncloaked his face, to reveal dark bronze skin, golden eyes, a bald head, and a gray goatee.

Master Xehanort.

"My boy, you have not yet learned the great power that lies within you!"

Xehanort was obviously talking to Sora, but Riku felt a need to answer, "His power comes from his friends! He is the chosen wielder of the Keyblade! My power comes from understanding the balance of light and darkness!"

"Young Riku, I was once part of you. What you don't know is that so were two other people. The man you met when you were young, Terra? I took control of his body. He was my vessel to live on longer than my normal lifetime. You see, you aren't the only people who can wield Keyblades." Xehanort summoned his Keyblade to his side, prepared to attack. It was then obvious to Sora and Riku that Xehanort had retained powers from his previous forms. Control over the Heartless as "Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness" which was really Xehanort's Heartless. He also retained the Ethereal Blades from Xemnas, his Nobody form.

He combined all of his powers into one, and showed Sora and Riku a new ability: Keyblade ascension.

By combining all of his power together and sending it to his Keyblade, it caused the Keyblade to change form. It now featured a strand of darkness connecting his heart to his Keyblade.

"Behold… the power of the NoHeart Keyblade!" Xehanort commanded. He used NoHeart to summon Heartless and Nobodies alike. They swarmed Sora and Riku as Master Xehanort lunged into the air and came down with NoHeart shooting a beam of Darkness towards Riku. Sora jumped in the way, now wielding the Ultima Weapon and channeling the Darkness through his ultimate Keyblade.

The Darkness surged with great intensity, causing Sora to fall back onto Riku. So much concentrated Darkness could destroy a person easily. Lucky for Riku that Sora absorbed the Darkness.

"Lend me your Keyblade!" Riku demanded. Sora's misty blue eyes sparkled in wonder as he handed the Keyblade filled with Darkness. Riku took the Keyblade into his right hand, having Way to Dawn in his left, and transferred the Darkness to his own Keyblade.

Handing the Keyblade back to Sora, Riku focused the Darkness into his heart. Using the training he received in the Realm of Darkness, he converted the pure Darkness into a fine, powerfully bright Light.

It was unexpected.

Riku's heart pushed the Light out, channeling it into his Keyblade. He soon changed forms.

The Keyblade responded to his heart, giving him access to his Keyblade Armor. It was an angular suit, evenly balanced of black and white, of Dark and Light.

The Way to Dawn Keyblade split into two. It became the Angel of Light and the Demon of Night Keyblades.

The Angel of Light was a white and gold Keyblade with angel wings as the hilt, and a classic sword as the blade, with golden lightning bolts serving as the teeth of the key.

The Demon of Night was black and red, with demon wings as the hilt. Like its light counterpart, it had a classic sword as the blade, and it had flames as the teeth of the key.

He wasn't sure what was going on. He never had use of this power before, but it was invigorating. He launched himself towards Xehanort using his Demon of Night Keyblade. In midair, Riku summoned his Keyblade to his side as he tried to attack Xehanort with a blast of light from his Angel of Light Keyblade. It was astonishing how well he could use his Keyblade now. It felt as though he reached a different state of being.

The blast of Light coming from Riku's Keyblade nearly destroyed all of the Heartless and Nobodies surrounding Sora, but Master Xehanort with his NoHeart Keyblade came down striking Sora's Keyblade with fierce intensity.

"Face it, boy; you do not have what it takes to defeat me!" NoHeart surged with Darkness. It was clear that Xehanort was going to overpower Sora if he didn't do anything soon, but Sora was too preoccupied with the thought that he might never see Kairi again. Well, not only her, but all of his friends! Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Leon and his gang, and everyone else he had met on his adventures!

The feeling of grief, it fuels the greatest of fires.

Sora's heart emitted a strange Light from deep within him. He felt it overpower him and transform him. His heart had found the connection to his Keyblade, and gave him access to his own Keyblade Armor.

When Master Xehanort saw what Sora's Keyblade Armor looked like, he laughed. He finally understood how Sora was wielding the Keyblade with such mastery; Sora had Ventus's heart inside of him!

The Keyblade Armor was an exact copy of what Ven's was, except it had red, blue, yellow, white, and black details on it instead of the classic blue. It was a true combination of all of Sora's forms.

Then it hit Xehanort. Sora had the broken heart of Xehanort's most successful apprentice.

When Sora spoke, his voice was double-toned. His normal voice was now accompanied by Ven's voice.

"Xehanort! You have brought destruction and ruin to the World. You will pay for your actions!"

Sora used his newfound power to strike Master Xehanort and send him to his knees. The two Keyblades that he wielded were Oathkeeper and Oblivion, symbolizing the true balance that existed within Sora now. He crossed them in an X, which created a power ball of both Light and Darkness. He sent the power ball flying towards Xehanort, who now realized that his only hope was to run away and find another, young vessel.

Seeing this as his only option, Xehanort used his remaining power and dodged the attack. Because he used all of his power, his NoHeart Keyblade reverted to its original form.

"I will be back. And next time, I will destroy you and take your hearts." Xehanort said with his departing words, and he disappeared into the Dark portal that he summoned.

Sora and Riku reverted to their natural forms, and dispelled their Keyblades.

"That was… unexpected." Riku sighed.

"Where did all that power come from though?" Sora questioned his own beliefs in himself.

"It is because you are chosen to guard the Princesses of Heart. You are two of seven Knights of Heart," explained Yen Sid, appearing out of nowhere.


	2. Chapter 2

"Knights of Heart? What are those?" Sora was intrigued.

"The Knights of Heart are a sacred order of guardians who protect the Princesses of Heart. There is one Knight for each Princess." Yen Sid explained.

"And you know we are Knights because…?" Riku asked, unimpressed.

"It is quite simple; you showed the power of the Knights. Each of the Knights has a different type of heart," Yen Sid continued, "The seven of them represent the seven types of hearts."

"What are the seven types of heart, Master Yen Sid?" Both Sora and Riku were now interested in their new power.

"The three realms ―Light, Dark, and Nothingness― each have type of heart for themselves. Hearts that are completely filled with one of the three, and still capable of being whole," he started to go into more detail about the hearts, "Then there are hearts that are combinations of the three. Hearts like Riku's, which are a combination of Light and Darkness, hearts of Light and Nothingness, hearts of Dark and Nothingness, and hearts like yours, Sora, filled with all three."

"You've identified which type of heart we have?" Riku was appalled. He believed that he should be a complete mystery to everyone and everything, that way he could always do whatever he wanted to do.

"Like I said, these are the seven types of heart. All people have one of the seven. I have a heart of Light and Nothingness. It determines what our true powers will be." Yen Sid was now defending himself from the onslaught of Riku's words.

"You said that there is one Knight for each Princess… What did you mean?" Riku asked.

"Each Knight has a designated Princess. They are sworn to protect them until Kingdom Hearts is finally opened."

"So, what else do the Knights do?" Sora needed to know everything his new title gave him to do.

"When all of the Knights are gathered in one place, the Keyblade of Heart appears."

"The one I controlled when I was possessed by Xehanort's Heartless?"

"It would be the very same, except it would be completed enabling it to open the door to Kingdom Hearts on its own."'

"One last question, Master," Sora almost understood. "What happens when all of the Knights and Princesses are gathered together?"

"Very good, Sora, you're paying attention. When all of the Knights and Princesses are gathered, a special doorway is opened to the heart of all worlds, but not exactly Kingdom Hearts. It is the area outside of Kingdom Hearts. From the information I've gathered, the Guardian of Hearts will appear, bearing the Crowns of Heart. He will call forth one Knight and one Princess to become the King and Queen of Heart."

"So you're saying we have to prepare ourselves to rule Kingdom Hearts?" Riku was ambitious with his chance to achieve power like that.

"Not to rule, but to protect."

"How will we protect it with Keyblades as weak as the ones we have now?" Riku was upset at the lost chance at ultimate power, but he wasn't going to give up now, "We need greater power than what we have now!"

"Calm down, Riku. I know how you thirst for power and hunger for freedom, but we first need to work on finding everyone else first." Yen Sid was getting impatient with Riku's arrogance.

Sora interjected, "What are we supposed to do right now?"

"We ask our friend Mickey to lend us the Kingdom Key – Darkside. We then use the Kingdom Keys from the Light and Darkness to open the doorway for a secret Keyblade. One made from the same crystal as the Door to Darkness. The Crystal Key is one not of this World."

"Not of this world? What do you mean?"

"Legend has it that whosoever opens the true Kingdom Hearts shall have the power to reshape the world however they see fit. They become something greater than human, Heartless, or Nobody could ever be."

"So, what you're saying is that the world has been reshaped before?"

"Yes, and not just once either. The Princesses of Heart are the evidence of this. For each time the world has been reshaped, there was another Princess added to the group. A Keyblade War always ends one Era and opens another. The Χ-Blade is one of the three Keyblades that are instrumental in the War. The other two we've already discussed: the Keyblade of Heart, and the Crystal Key."

"So, you're saying everything we know and love was warped a long time ago by someone we've never met and we're fighting to take that right?" Riku asked, perplexed.

"Not to take that right, but to protect anyone else from taking it." Yen Sid finally gave Sora and Riku their true purpose.

"Well, seeing how you seem to know everything, who are the other Knights?"

"There are four that I know for sure: You two, Sora and Riku, and the other two young warriors I once met, Terra and Ventus…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Terra and Ventus! But they're gone!" Mickey called out.

"True, but they can be recovered." Yen Sid reasoned.

The four of them—Yen Sid, Mickey, Sora, and Riku— started walking into the Mysterious Tower. There, they would research the power it would take to recover someone lost to the darkness.

"Here, in the Keyblade Chronicles, we will find the answers to what we need to know. It contains all of the information that Masters have gathered across the ages." Yen Sid's wisdom was unfathomable.

The group then peered deeply into the books. There was information on the enemies that have faced the Keyblade Masters before. It was an advanced version of Jiminy's Journal, collected throughout what looked like five generations.

"The Four Enemies: The Heartless, the Unversed, the Nobodies, and Humans…" Sora read plainly from one of the book's title.

"What were the Unversed?" Riku asked

"They were beings of negative emotion, spread by a young boy's dark side, named Vanitas. Vanitas and his Master, Master Xehanort, spread them across the worlds. They nearly took the worlds with them. But thanks to the works of Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, they were irradiated. We will know if Vanitas returns if they return."

"And Humans? Why are they on the list of enemies?" Sora asked.

"People like Xehanort have caused problems for the true Keyblade Masters since they were appointed in the War."

"So, they became enemies because they tried to achieve power through darkness?" Riku proposed.

"Not as much as that, but that they used their power, whether it be Light or Darkness, to attack other innocent people."

"I understand, Master. Thank you." Riku was grateful that he could still use Darkness.

As the group went through the Chronicles, they discovered more about the worlds.

"Each world has a keyhole, but not all worlds have doors. If the keyhole is sealed, then the heart is available to be harvested for Kingdom Hearts. However, if Heartless return to the world, then the keyhole's seal is broken, then all Heartless must be destroyed before sealing it again." Mickey read from the book labeled "Secrets of Worlds".

"Only a Keyblade Master can harvest the hearts of people or worlds." Yen Sid added.

"Then how was Xehanort's Heartless capable of gathering the hearts needed for Kingdom Hearts two years ago?" Sora asked.

"When he took over Riku's heart and body, he was able to use the Keyblade and do it." Mickey explained.

"Not to mention that Xehanort's Heartless was a Heartless version of three Keyblade Masters combined into one person." Yen Sid interjected.

"Three? I thought he was only composed of Terra and Xehanort?" Riku was confused.

"I'm afraid that Master Eraqus also melded his heart with Terra's, creating a huge conflict within Terra's heart." Master Yen Sid remembered sensing that Eraqus had faded. He let out a soft sob.

"So, now that we defeated both the Heartless and the Nobody of the Reincarnated Xehanort, shouldn't all three of them be released from the Darkness and sent back into the world of the living?" Sora was concerned for Terra and Eraqus.

"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. You see, Terra's Will was the strongest I've ever seen, perhaps even stronger than yours or Riku's, Sora, and Terra's Will stayed with his Keyblade armor. You've even fought against him, in the doorway to the Keyblade Graveyard." Yen Sid was stern with his explanation. Sora didn't know what to make of it.

"So, once we defeated Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas, the two Elder Masters came back, while Terra is in the Darkness, searching for his Will?"

"Precisely. Then there is the fact that Aqua sacrificed herself in order to save Terra from being swallowed by the Darkness." Mickey added in.

"Your mission, Sora, Riku, and Mickey, is to retrieve the three warriors of the Keyblade that gave you the power to wield it. Find Terra, Aqua, and Ventus."

With that, they brandished their newfound armors, the Armor of Knights, and used the power of the Keyblade Glider to enter a portal of Darkness, searching for the answers to their questions. Where is Aqua? How do we retrieve Ventus? And how will we reunite Terra's Heart, Body, Soul, and Will?


	4. Chapter 4

"First things first," Riku said, "We must locate Aqua. She will have the answers to a lot of our questions."

"But where would we even start? The Realm of Darkness is never-ending. It is impossible to find one person in this great Darkness." Sora retorted.

"We'll start at the one place we know; The Dark Median."

"Aren't those the shores where we landed after our fight with Xemnas?"

"Yes, and it is the most likely place to find Aqua."

The two boys flew into what seemed like an endless abyss of Darkness, and used their hearts as their guides to the one place they've both been to before together in the Realm. With the power of memory, their hearts had always guided their way to worlds that they've been to before. This should be no different.

And it wasn't. They arrived at the shores faster than they expected, and they were surprised to see what, or who, was there waiting for them.

"I think that we have company." The man in the black cloak said.

"Who are they? Do they look dangerous?" The young woman asked in earnest.

"They appear to be using Keyblade Gliders, and bearing not only Keyblade Armor, but a special type that I've only seen in tomes of legends." The man was intrigued by these newcomers.

"Keyblade Armor… of a special type? What do you mean?"

"The Knights' Armor. Given to those who are destined to protect the purest Hearts of the worlds."

"I'm not quite sure if I understand."

"They'll tell us who they are once they land, but brace yourself for anything, Aqua."

Sora and Riku landed on the beach not far from where the mysterious couple was standing. They put their Keyblades away and started walking towards the mysterious couple, and they prepared for the worst.

"What if it's some cohort of Xehanort?" Sora said.

"I doubt anyone who would align themselves with him would just stand there, waiting for us to approach. And besides, we are Masters with our Keyblades. We can handle ourselves." Riku exclaimed with confidence.

As Sora and Riku approached the two mysterious figures, they began to see that one was a young woman, in a turquoise armor dress, and the other, although they were unable to see, they could hear that it was a man.

However, it was not just any man, this was DiZ, or as we now know him to be, Ansem the Wise.

"We have come this far, and we find both of you at once?" Sora said, as he put away his Keyblade.

"Yes, and it is time for us to get out of this wretched darkness again, Aqua." Ansem said.

"Aqua, huh? Looks like we didn't have to go far to find you after all." Riku said with a sigh of relief.

"What? You were looking for me?" Aqua asked the two Knights in disbelief.

"Yes, we're here to find you and bring you back to the Realm of Light and so you can answer our questions on how to revive Terra and Ventus." Riku answered.

"Ven…" Aqua's whisper was hardly audible.

"Ventus' heart has found shelter in mine. We need help relocating him so we can put it back." Sora said, trying to bring hope in Aqua's eyes.

"I can get you to him, Sora." Aqua said, reassuring herself.

Just then, Ansem's memory came back in a flash.

"Sora! Riku! It is good to see you again. I am glad you two found us, and not Xehanort's goons." He bellowed.

"Yeah, we ran into Xehanort, the older one, as we were on our way to take to Mark of Mastery exam." Riku said in response.

"So, the rumors are true."

"About what?"

"When a person's Nobody and Heartless are destroyed, they are reborn in their state that they were lost to darkness in. Xehanort was a special case though. The body he was using did not belong to him; therefore, he returned to his previous form before the takeover of Terra."

"Oh, yeah. We read that in Master Yen Sid's books."

"Yen Sid still lives? That man is almost as old as the world itself."

"Yeah. That's where we're going to take you two, if you don't mind." Riku said, trying not to sound commanding.

"Lead the way!" Aqua said, happy to get out of the Darkness after 12 years.

Sora and Riku brandished their Knights' Armor again, and they used barrier magic to protect Aqua and Ansem. They then used their Keyblades to open a door back into the realm of light.

"The four of you need to hear this…" Mickey said as Sora, Riku, Aqua, and Ansem came into the Tower. Kairi was there now, assisting in everything she could.

"What is it, Mickey?" Ansem asked.

"I'll allow Yen Sid to explain. It's much easier for him."

Yen Sid spoke loudly, hoping to get everyone's attention, "In one of my books, there was a legend of Kingdom Hearts. I must have passed over this somehow when I was gathering information through these books. It says that he who reshaped the World through the power of Kingdom Hearts is doomed to protect it at all costs."

"So, what you're saying is that we have to fight the one guy who was able to do this before?" Sora and Riku both were appalled.

"Yes, so this changes everything."


	5. Chapter 5

Everything was changing. It all started with one simple key.

As he approached the tower, he knew that they were there.

"I sense someone is coming, Mickey." Yen Sid said to his pupil.

Mickey summoned his key, the Kingdom Key Darkside, and prepared for battle.

"My pupil, do not always jump into battle, for this may be a friend."

He climbed the stairs. He knew he had some explaining to do. Sora and his friends needed some help, and he knew he would be the answer.

"Please, Yen Sid, at least let me go check to see who it is?" Mickey asked, anxious as to who was coming.

"Mickey, just be patient. We are in the presence of an unknown Keyblade Master."

"How can you tell that this unknown person is a Keyblade Master?"

"I just know"

As he continued towards the door, the young man with a Keyblade unlocked the door. He walked through. His spiky red hair stood out against his new black and red cloak. Instantly, Mickey recognized him, or at least, who his Nobody was.

"Axel?! How are you alive?" Mickey asked in disbelief.

"Oh, Mickey, I am no longer Axel. You can call me Lea."

Sora and Riku had left Yen Sid's tower shortly after they arrived, knowing that they, along with Aqua, Ansem, and Kairi, needed to travel to Castle Oblivion.

"Aqua, you told all of us that the next step was to go to Castle Oblivion. My question is, why?" Kairi's inquiry was innocent, but it had a bit of sass to it.

Aqua snapped, "We're going there to recover the body of my best friend, Ventus. I left him there when I changed my home into that dreadful Castle."

"Oh! So, after we find him, we can give him his heart back from mine?" Sora wanted to keep the arguments down to a minimum.

"Exactly, although I don't know if Ven is going to be able to accept his heart. Twelve years is a long time to wait to get your heart back." Aqua said with a sigh of regret.

"We may only hope that it is not too late for Ven to wake up, for he is still half of the greatest weapon, the X-Blade." Ansem finally spoke up, Wise as ever.

The five warriors moved along through the Darkness, as a distant friend from the past showed his new-found powers to Yen Sid.

"I see…" Xehanort said to his younger self.  
"The only way we are going to come through with this is if we come at them with everything we've got, along with match ups against people they do not wish to fight. For example, Lea will not want to fight Saїx." Young Xehanort had spent years on a time-travelling journey to gather multiple forms of himself, to prepare for the beginning of the next Keyblade War.

"If all goes according to plan, we will be victorious, and the next world will be ours."

The two denizens of Darkness left the corridor in which they were residing, and approached their new group, Organization XII, in its new form. There is Master Xehanort, Young Xehanort, Ansem—the seeker of darkness, Xemnas, Braig, and Saїx. The other seven were waiting, in cloaks, to be revealed on the field of battle.

Lea was done showing off his new-found power, which he obtained through practice and study through the Organization's materials. Yen Sid spoke up as Lea powered down.

"There is something else you need to know about yourself." Yen Sid told Lea, as he returned to normal.  
"What's that, Master?"

"You, my boy, are one of the legendary seven Knights of Heart."

"Wait, THE Knights of Heart? The Guardians of the Princesses of Heart, and of the Light that they contain?"

"Yes. It has been made clear to me by your quick learning nature, and the power which you just exhibited for me and Mickey, here."

"I am truly honored, Sir."

"No, the honor is mine, to be in the presence of the fabled Knight of Fire."

The conversation went on, with constant flattery, both men were exhilarated by the presence of the other. Lea was then told of the current situation, with Xehanort on the rise. He quickly brandished his Keyblade, which he had not given a name, and put on his cloak. He went forth to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he expected to find a challenging opponent, Terra's Will.

I see you made it Terra's Will thought, but he was still just Terra, without a body or a heart.

Lea approached him, but did not address him, for Terra had only thought, not spoke.

They both brandished their Keyblades, readying to fight again, training together since Lea's recreation after Axel faded from the world.

They never exchanged words—Only blows.

Terra trained him to transform as he did.

Greater than a human, Heartless, and Nobody.

They shook hands, and turned respectively, then took ten paces a piece. The both turned, then Lea stabbed his own heart with his Keyblade, proclaiming, "I willingly give my heart to DARKNESS!"

The Keyblade split into two, the light and dark versions of the key, and Lea grabbed one in each hand, and removed them, spinning them simultaneously. Then he swung them downward, and right before Terra's eyes, he became two people— a humanoid Heartless, who could wield the Keyblade, and….

Axel. With a Keyblade in his hand, and his chakrams floating behind his back.

They both cried out, "Kingdom Hearts, guide me, and give me the Light I must have to protect you!"

A bright light descended into their hands, as they were standing next to each other, hand-in-hand. They crossed their keys into an X shape in front of the Light. The Light made the keys shine, and the two smiled, and glowed.

Instantly, they were one again. But, this time, it was different. The power he showed Yen Sid. The power of the FateFul.


End file.
